If Darkness Falls
by Icebreathstar
Summary: When branch is born of leaf and wood, he'll fall into darkness, and unless light prevails, the Clans will be lost. All Branchkit wants to be is a great warrior, but life takes a turn when his leader names him after his newly shredded tail. With a new name, he feels lost and alone, and even his family don't understand. Soon he begins his training- unaware he's falling into darkness.
1. Allegiances and Prologue

Allegiances

ThunderClan

Leader: Stonestar- dark gray tom

Medicine Cat: Mallowpelt- white tom with brown spots

Deputy: Leaftail- pale brown tabby she-cat

Warriors: Woodpelt- dark brown tabby tom, apprentice: Smallpaw

Drizzlebird- a blueish gray she-cat with black flecks

Snowheart- white she-cat with gray paws, apprentice: Palepaw

Knotfur- a black tom with always tangled fur

Vineflower- tortoiseshell she-cat, apprentice: Petalpaw

Ferntail- a calico she-cat

Greatfoot- pale ginger tom with dark stripes

Twistclaw- black and white tom with a twisted claw, apprentice: Spotpaw

Lionface- pale yellowish ginger tom, apprentice: Shredpaw

Rainheart- pale grey she-cat

Queens: Softwater- tortoiseshell she-cat

Leaftail- deputy, see above

Cloudfur- white with black patches

Kits:

Leaftail's litter-

Branchkit, dark brown tabby tom.

Spotkit, black tom with one white spot on his shoulder.

Petalkit, tortoiseshell she-cat

Softwater's litter-

Lightkit, pale grey tabby she-cat

Mosskit, tortoiseshell she-cat

Cloudfur's litter- still expecting

Apprentices:

Thrushpaw- dark brown tabby tom

Palepaw- white she-cat

Smallpaw- dark grey she-cat

Elders:

Featherfur- silver tabby she-cat

Brownfoot- light brown tom

Darkpelt- very dark brown tom with gray flecks

WindClan

Leader: Galestar- tom

Medicine Cat: Sagefoot she-cat

Deputy: Gorsethorn- tom

Warriors: Highear- tom. Rabbitstride- tom.

Pounceleaf- she-cat

Apprentices:

Swiftpaw- she-cat

Dawnpaw- she-cat

Elders:

Skytail- tom

Smoothsand- tom

Littleleaf- she-cat

RiverClan

Leader: Troutstar- tom

Medicine Cat: Reedfur- tom

Deputy: Frostheart- she-cat

Warriors: Icetail- she-cat Pebbleclaw-tom

Streamshine- she-cat

Apprentices: Minnowpaw- she-cat

Clearpaw- tom

Brookpaw- she-cat

Elders: Flashnose- tom Smalltail- tom

Slipperystone- she-cat

ShadowClan

Leader: Ravenstar- tom

Medicine Cat: Froghop- tom

Deputy: Mudstep- tom

Warriors: Pinetail- tom. Poppyheart- she-cat.

Rowanfoot- tom. Blackfur- tom.

Apprentices: Silkpaw- she-cat. Darkpaw- tom. Snakepaw- tom.

Elders: Shadestripe- tom.

Manefur- she-cat.

Tigerpelt- tom.

Prologue

A silent mist crept over the hills, and cats came with it. A pale she-cat stepped forward. "Well, what do you think, Blacktail?" "I don't know, Mistheart. Should we keep silent, or tell them and possibly risk the kit going into darkness?" Blacktail, a brown tabby with a blackened tail, mewed. "We can't risk saying anything! If they assume the worst, they will do all they can to prevent it. Nothing must harm this kit!" A tortoiseshell snapped. "What then, if he is hurt?" "Would you have us do nothing, Littlespot? One thing is certain- we must send a message to somecat. If we refuse to speak, they will find out by themselves." Mistheart decided. "However, you have a point. The message must not give away too much. Blacktail, I think you should deliver it, unless Thornstar disagrees. I know this was once your Clan as well." Thornstar, a black tom, mewed assent from the edge of the crowd. "Then it's settled." Blacktail meowed. "I'll go when the kit is made an apprentice, in four moons. StarClan, don't forget the prophecy, or the kit. _'When branch is born of leaf and wood, he will fall into darkness, and unless light prevails, the Clans will be lost.' _" He turned and padded away. After a slight pause, StarClan followed. They wouldn't forget. And neither would he.


	2. Branchkit

**A/N: Hi, I'm Icebreath, and this is my first fanfic. If you read this please review! I need constructive criticism so please no flames! :) I will respond to reviews, and update every 2-3 days. Thanks!**

"Hey, Branchkit, catch the mossball!" Spotkit yowled.

"I'm trying, hold on. Ah-ha! Got it!" Branchkit mewed.

"Toss it to me," Petalkit, his sister, pleaded. Branchkit threw it to her. Petalkit and Spotkit, his brother, were tortoiseshell and black and white, not like him. He was a dark brown tabby, like his father, Woodpelt. _I want to be just like him, but I'm going to be deputy like Leaftail, too, someday! _Branchkit was shaken out of his thoughts by a mossball hitting the side of his head.

"Hey! Who threw that?" He yowled in indignation.

"Not me," Petalkit giggled. "It was Spotkit!" Spotkit scampered off to hide behind the elders, sharing tongues in a patch of sun near their den. "You're trees!" He whispered to Brownfoot, who was closest.

"Oh no, we're not." The dusky brown elder chuckled as he heaved himself up. "Come on Featherfur, I'd like to have a look at the fresh-kill pile."

Featherfur stopped grooming her silvery pelt and sprang up. "Oooh, let's. I hope there's a nice plump vole."

Darkpelt followed, grumbling. "Those apprentices should have been back by now, lazy young'uns."

Branchkit stifled a burst of laughter as he watched from the other side of camp. "I think they're just coming now, Darkpelt. Look, Featherfur, Palepaw and Thrushpaw both have voles!" The apprentices split up, Smallpaw and Palepaw went to the nursery, while Thrushpaw brought both voles to the elders.

"I hope you're in the mood for vole today. I caught this one and Palepaw caught the other, but she went to help carry Smallpaw's catches to the nursery." The new kits spilled out of the nursery, squeaking. Lightkit and Mosskit had just opened their eyes yesterday, being two moons younger then Branchkit and his littermates.

Featherfur sniffed the voles appreciatively. "Tell Palepaw thanks, and good job yourself. I think we'll enjoy them."

Mosskit called over, "Branchkit, do you want to play catch the mouse?"

"Uh, not now, Mosskit. I'll be over in a minute." Branchkit replied, glancing over at Woodpelt and Leaftail near the warriors' den. "There's something I want to do first." He trotted over to his parents. "Woodpelt, can I become an apprentice now instead of waiting?" He mewed.

Leaftail, overhearing, nudged him. "Did you think that because I am the deputy that you could be an apprentice early? Of course not, Branchkit, you are four moons too young now. You must be six moons. You'll be an apprentice when it's time, with Petalkit and Spotkit, not before. Now go and play with the other kits."

"All right," Branchkit sighed. _Will I always be too young?_ He thought. _I just can't wait._

"Are you coming to eat, Branchkit?" Petalkit called. She was over by the fresh-kill pile, eating a mouse.

"I think I'll take a nap. I can eat later." He replied.

"Okay, but there might not be any left. Spotkit and Thrushpaw are demolishing the pile."

He snickered. "There better be some left. Stonestar and the senior warriors eat later!" He padded into the nursery and lay down in the nest him, Leaftail, Petalkit, and Spotkit shared. After a little bit, he fell asleep.

**Hope you liked chapter one! Also, sorry if my chapters are shorter than in some fanfics. That way I can update quicker. XD**

**-Icebreath**

**P.S. Thanks to Petalwish for informing me about dialogue lines. Very helpful! Also this chapter is the updated version for dialogue. :)**


	3. Fox Hunter

**A/N: Again, if you read this story please review! :)**

Four moons later Branchkit awoke with a start. He looked around the nursery sleepily. Then it hit him. Six moons old today! Today he would become an apprentice! But still…_My tail…._ He wished he had never chased that fox. He remembered it like it was yesterday, although it was an entire four moons ago…

_Drizzlebird, Knotfur, and Thrushpaw dashed into camp. _

_"There's a fox near Sunningrocks! We have to chase it off!" Drizzlebird panted. "Where is Stonestar?" Leaftail padded up. _

_"He's out on hunting patrol with Vineflower, Rainheart, Woodpelt, and Smallpaw near the Great Sycamore. Snowheart and Palepaw are at the training hollow." Leaftail's pelt was fluffed up, but otherwise you couldn't tell she was worried. _

_"Take Twistclaw, Greatfoot, Ferntail, and Lionface, and try to track it. Where did you last see it?" She continued, but Branchkit had heard enough. _I'll prove that I deserve to be an apprentice now. I'll catch that fox! _He decided. Branchkit considered asking the other kits to come, but didn't want to. _They won't be quiet enough. And besides, I have to show them I can do this by myself. _He headed toward the dirt-place tunnel, trying look small and insignificant. _

_His plans were spoiled by Spotkit scampering over from the other side of camp, yowling to get his attention._

_"Branchkit! Where are you going? Can I come?" _

_Branchkit rolled his eyes. "Dirt-place, but I don't know why you'd want to come, mousebrain." _

_Spotkit ducked his head in embarrassment. "Oh. Right." He brightened. "Did you hear about the fox? I wish we were apprentices. We'd beat the foxdung out of it!" _

_Branchkit sighed. "I really wish we were 'paws too, Spotkit, but I have to go…." _

_"Ooops," Spotkit whispered. Branchkit padded to the dirtplace tunnel without any more interruptions. He squeezed out through a hole in the back of the wall, and stopped to sniff himself. "Urgh," He muttered, and decided to roll in some ferns. Once he finished, he opened his jaws wide and scented the air for fox. _There!_ The breeze was blowing a strong stench towards him. Branchkit decided it must be blowing from Sunningrocks. He wasn't sure, but that was his best bet. He remembered that Sunningrocks was quite far away, to the left of the camp. Branchkit broke into a trot, following the scent. In just a little while, the scent suddenly seemed much stronger. _I must be almost there!_ Then the unthinkable happened, and something burst from the undergrowth. A set of sharp teeth latched onto his tail, and snatched him up. _

_"Help!" Branchkit yowled, his voice breaking as excruciating pain shot through his tail. "Woodpelt!_

_Leaftail! I've found the fox!" He turned and tried to slash the fox's nose but barely grazed him. Black dots danced before his eyes. _I think I'm gonna black out….._ He put all his strength into one last yowl. _

_"Help me!"_

_He woke up in the medicine den, lying in a soft moss nest. _

_"You're awake. That's good. At least you can eat better now. Mallowpelt, the white and brown medicine cat, padded over from his own nest. _

_"W-w-what happened?" Branchkit asked shakily. "You're lucky to not have lost more than your tail. If Stonestar and Woodpelt's hunting patrol hadn't heard you're yowling, you'd be dead by now." Mallowpelt replied. Branchkit struggled to get up. _

_"What do you mean more_ _than my tail?" _

_"I couldn't save part of it, and the rest... you'll have to see for yourself." Mallowpelt mewed heavily. He reached a paw into the herb stores and drew out a pile of leaves. He selected a few and chewed them up. Branchkit was anxiously twisting and turning, trying to look at his tail. Mallowpelt gently pulled Branchkit's tail out of the nest, and began to apply the marigold paste. Branchkit finally got a good glance at it, gasped, and turned away. _

_"It's awful! Can't you fix it?" He asked. _

_"Don't you think I would have already? It's been five sunrises since it happened. I'm so sorry, Branchkit. It will stay like that forever." _

**Well! That's another chapter. Such hard work! *wipes invisible sweat off forehead* :) Not really. Cliffhanger! **

**Howling Wolf111: no, they just don't understand him. :(**

**-Icebreathstar**


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